The gang decides to get two Christmas trees this year: a large one to be decorated with traditional decorations and a small one to decorate with organic decorations. Both happen to be able to communicate with each other via thought balloons. Meanwhile, Archie decides to become a department store Santa.

Betty and Veronica become nurse's aides at the hospital, where one of the new patients is a comatose man known only as "Patient X." Betty notices a mysterious man with a red mustache peeking into "Patient X"'s room. When "Patient X" starts to come out of his coma, his only words are "Must protect Carezzo." Archie and the gang take it upon themselves to solve the mystery of who "Patient X" is, what he's trying to protect, and what the man with the red mustache has to do with all this.

Indexer Notes

The digest incorrectly credits this to Frank Doyle. Script identifiable as Sy Reit by the style and by an in-joke in the story: a hospital P.A. announcer calls for "Dr. Reit" on p. 9. (On p. 7, the announcer calls for "Dr. White," referring to Bob White, the artist.)